JeeNode development platform

posted Mar 15th 2010 7:16am by
filed under: misc hacks, tool hacks

It is basically a nice compact layout for an Atmel Atmega 328 with a wireless module.  Fully compatible with the Arduino IDE.  The JeeNode is available in kit form, but also all schematics and CAD files are available to download. It looks like they are mainly using it for home monitoring and control.  So far we’ve seen them put a temp sensor, power metering, and IR LED modules on their flickr set.

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15 Responses to JeeNode development platform

  • Simmers says:
    March 15, 2010 at 8:06 am

    What about just using a Zigbit module? They’re basically ATMEGA chips with a built-in Zigbee radio + AMP. In the UK they cost about £25 from Farnell. Maybe this JeeNode is cheaper?

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  • salsa says:
    March 15, 2010 at 8:34 am

    A JeeNode (kit) costs €17.50, which is under £16– crazy cheap! ZigBee is fantastic, but too expensive for many microcontroller projects, thought the ZigBit module really brings down the price by integrating it with the controller. Wish I could find availability in the US though; min. quantity 122 at Mouser! Anyway the JeeNode comes preloaded with the Arduino bootloader, so… er [ducking].

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  • Simmers says:
    March 15, 2010 at 8:37 am

    @salsa

    Have you tried DigiKey? They seem to stock Zigbit stuff at a fairly reasonable price:

    http://search.digikey.com/scripts/DkSearch/dksus.dll?Cat=3539948&k=zigbit

    My Zigbit module arrived from Farnell yesterday, but I’m too scared to open it because its shipped in like 20 layers of ESD packaging!

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  • Cynyr says:
    March 15, 2010 at 8:40 am

    Am i reading http://news.jeelabs.org/docs/JN4%20pinout.png Correctly? 4 DIO pins and 4 AIO pins? and no PWM? Here I was hoping for a good base to build an RC car on (yes i know RC car kits are available, but i wanted to build a mini car, not assemble some plastic)

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  • Simmers says:
    March 15, 2010 at 8:43 am

    @Cynyr

    If you want IO, the ATMEGA644P is the way to go. Check out the Sanguino project. The ATMEGA644P gives you two serial lines, which means you can hook up any radio transceiver in addition to a GPS unit or other serial device without having to use SoftwareSerial. Win!

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  • Seanstoppable says:
    March 15, 2010 at 9:16 am

    @Cynyr

    Certainly fewer ports overall. However, if you look at the full documentation at http://jeefiles.equi4.com/JeeNode-v4.pdf it says that two of the 4 DIO pins allow PWM.

    If you want a small form factor on the arduino platform, but more pins, you could always pick up an Arduino Pro Mini (or a Sanguino as Simmers suggested) and a wireless module and make your own.

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  • bdwong says:
    March 15, 2010 at 10:25 am

    @salsa

    I got mine at Modern Device they are the US supplier for Jee boards.

    http://www.moderndevice.com/products/jeenode-kit

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  • Cynyr says:
    March 15, 2010 at 11:31 am

    @Simmers

    That looks interesting, thats alot of extra IO.

    @Seanstoppable

    ahh, I didn’t look at the pdf, too much extra work on chromium on linux.

    I found http://store.gravitech.us/arna30wiatp.html a while back, it’s a 328 with the ardunio bootlooder, in a small package. definitely not a self build, but small and retains the usb port and fits in a breadboard.

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  • salsa says:
    March 15, 2010 at 12:48 pm

    @Cynyr (and everyone), of the 18 normally available Arduino pins, JeeNode only uses five for the RFM12B interface– D2 and D10-D13. Ports 1-4 each have 2 pins, plus they share D3 (also PWM), so that’s 9, plus two each via the I2C (A4, A5) and SPI (D8, D9) headers: 13 pins are available, plus TX and RX.

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  • theb says:
    March 15, 2010 at 5:23 pm

    Anyone know if these work with the US model (915 MHz) of the TI Chronos watches?

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  • bdwong says:
    March 15, 2010 at 5:33 pm

    @theb

    The RFM12 can transmit and receive on the 433MHz, 868MHz, and 915MHz using the software included on the ATMEGA. I don’t know anything about the TI watches.

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  • anthonyn says:
    March 15, 2010 at 6:20 pm

    you really need a pair to justify the wirelesss.
    What else can you talk to?

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  • el9399 says:
    March 16, 2010 at 12:20 am

    really like it,, can be remove a circuit but we make repair system by incoders…

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  • Ron says:
    March 16, 2010 at 5:48 am

    @anthonyn
    Modern Devices also carries a JeeLink, essentially a stripped down Jeelink with USB and a large flash memory (for when the computer crashes). Modern Devices is having trouble delivering at the moment.

    @Cynyr
    The “IRQ” pin is PWM pin 3, the downside is its repeated on all 4 “ports”. I didnt look where the other 3 go, as I only needed 3 at that moment.

    I’m the one working with them, thats my picture up there. Jean Claude (the originator) has done much more, and I’m following in his footsteps.

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  • Ron says:
    March 16, 2010 at 11:42 am

    @Cynyr..

    Forgot to mention, those are just the pins conveniently broken out and put on receptacles. You can get at the others, they are brought to pads and you can also tack solder directly to the 328. Its essentially an Arduino, on a thin board with different terminations.

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